Health and Wellness Information

• Understanding Concussions

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Lice is a common problem in schools today. It is crucial that schools AND parents/guardians work together to control the issue of lice and the continuous cycle it creates.

If lice or nits are detected on your child, please treat IMMEDIATELY. There are home remedies, prescription and non-prescription (OTC) options. You can discuss these options with your pharmacist or physician. Note: some OTC medications have an increased resistance to some lice; so don’t give up if the first line of treatment does not work for you.

Lice will move and become dark after they have had a feeding. Nits look like clear water drops attached to a strain of hair. Even if they are not viable, more than a ¼ inch away from the scalp, they remain attached to the hair until they are combed out with a lice comb or pulled out a strain at a time. Both are extremely small.

Lice facts:

• Lice do not fly, jump or hop. They do not have wings.
• Lice need human blood and warmth found near the scalp to survive. They will die within 24-48 hours outside of this environment.
• Adult lice can live up to 3 weeks and can lay 5-10 eggs a day.
• Nits take about 7-9 days to hatch.
• Signs to watch for are itching, especially the back of the neck area and around the ears. What do you need to do to stop the cycle?
• Treat the infestation! Assess other family members for lice for the next 7-10 days. Do not treat if there are no lice found.
• Instruct your child not to share combs, brushes, hair accessories, hats, scarves, and helmets.
• Girls should keep hair back in a ponytail, if possible.
• Do not send your child to bed with wet hair.
• Lice do not like hair products such as hairspray, gels, etc.
• Treat your home environment:
  • Wash bedding, towels and recently worn clothes in hot water and dry on high heat, at least 130 degrees.
  • Soak combs and brushes in hot water (130 degrees) for 10 minutes.
  • Bag items that cannot be laundered, such as stuffed animals and pillows for 2 weeks.
  • Vacuum floors, rugs and furniture.
  • Use lint roller on car seats, and sport helmets.
  • Backpacks and coats should be dried on high heat (130 degrees) for 30 minutes.

We need your help to stop the cycle of lice. Please take the time to help eradicate lice as soon as possible from school and from your home. If you receive a letter home stating that lice have been detected in your child’s classroom, please check your child’s scalp for the next 7-10 days to help eliminate any further lice contamination.

Thank you for your help.

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Our goal in giving you these guidelines is to reduce the spread of communicable disease at school and to promote a healthy environment for students attending school. They were created to help you in your decision making process as to whether to send your child to school or to keep your child at home.

Chickenpox

Your child should remain home until lesions have crusted. For cases with non-crusting lesions: until lesions are fading or until no new lesions occur.

Cold with mild symptoms such as stuffy nose with clear drainage, mild cough

Should I keep my child home from school? No. Your child may attend school if he or she is able to participate in school activities.

Cough

Should I keep my child home from school? Yes. Keep your child home if the cough is persistent and productive coupled with thick or constant nasal drainage.

Diarrhea

Should I keep my child home from school? Yes. Child should be kept home for 24 hours after the last episode of diarrhea without the use of any medication.

Earache

Should I keep my child home from school? Yes. Child should be kept home if earache is accompanied by unusual drainage or has other symptoms such as a fever.

Fever

Should I keep my child home from school? Yes. Child should stay home if their temperature is 100 degrees or more. Child must be fever free for 24 hours without medication before returning to school.

Fifth Disease

Should I keep my child home from school? No. By the time the rash appears, children are no longer contagious and do not need to stay home.

Hand Foot Mouth Disease

Should I keep my child home from school? No. If secretions from blisters can be contained, child does not need to stay home.

Head Lice

Should I keep my child home from school? Yes. Child may return after their hair has been treated. Please see the Lice page on the FHPS district website under Health Information for further instructions on taking care of Lice at home.

Impetigo

Should I keep my child home from school? Yes. Child may return to school 24 hours after treatment starts. Sores should be covered when child returns to school.

Influenza type illness

Should I keep my child home from school? Yes. Child with Influenza-like illness (fever with a cough or sore throat) should stay home for 24 hours after fever has resolved without medication and cough has subsided.

Mumps

Should I keep my child home from school? Yes. Child with mumps should stay home from school for a total of five days after the symptoms begin.

Pink Eye (conjunctivitis)

Should I keep my child home from school? Yes. Child may return 24 hours after treatment is started.

Poison Ivy

Should I keep my child home from school? No. Poison Ivy is not contagious, so a child does not need to stay home. Open lesions should be covered when child is at school.

Ringworm

Should I keep my child home from school? No. Child may come to school as long as the area is being treated and that it remains covered when the child is at school. Student should exclude from contact sports and swimming until treatment has been initiated.

Strep Throat

Should I keep my child home from school? Yes. Child may return to school 24 hours after treatment has started and when fever is no longer present.

Vomiting

Should I keep my child home from school? Yes. Child should be kept home for 24 hours after the last episode of vomiting without the use of any medication.

Whooping Cough

Should I keep my child home from school? Yes. Child should not come to school until 5 days of appropriate treatment or he/she will need to be out of school for 21 days after the onset of symptoms.

Rashes can be caused by many things, a few of which may be contagious. A sudden appearance of a rash over any part of the body with an unknown cause and accompanied by fever or other symptoms should be evaluated by a doctor.

Generally, your child may return to school when he/she is free of signs and symptoms of illness.

If your child comes to school sick or becomes ill at school, we will call you and ask that you pick up your child immediately. If we cannot reach you, we will call your emergency contact person to pick up your child. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION IS ALWAYS UP TO DATE. If there is an extreme emergency regarding your child 911 will be called. We will make every effort to contact you.

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Reproductive Health Advisory Board Recommendations Frequently Asked Questions

Why was a reproductive health advisory board convened in 2017?

An advisory board is required by the state of Michigan for public school districts who provide reproductive health education classes. Such an advisory board has not been convened for approximately 12 years. In reviewing the laws related to the teaching of this content, it was found that the District was out of compliance in several aspects, including:

• regular review of the curriculum by an advisory board
• teacher certification and endorsement requirements
• appointment of a sex education supervisor

Why is there a proposed change to the delivery of the middle school health mini-course?

Health class is not an academic requirement at the middle school level in Michigan. However, districts are required to teach about dangerous communicable diseases at least once each year at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. In our district, the state-required content related to HIV/STI and reproductive health has been offered as an elective mini-course to eighth graders. In the eighth grade mini-course guest presenters were teaching 100% of the course rather than a certified health-endorsed teacher. This puts the District at risk of fines and sanctions. At the elementary and high school levels, HIV/STI and reproductive health lessons have been, and continue to be, provided by certified District staff.

The state of Michigan requires that a certified health-endorsed teacher is responsible for all instruction. If a guest presenter is utilized, the certified health-endorsed teacher must teach more than half of the curriculum.

In order to bring the middle school level course into compliance with requirements of Michigan Compiled Laws, the District needed to take action. The District will now ensure that teachers who have a teaching degree in health education and who are certified to teach in the state of Michigan provide the instruction for this curriculum.

As with all other courses throughout our K-12 program, credentialed teachers who have earned the appropriate teaching endorsements will ensure this content is taught in an age-appropriate manner using best instructional practices.

For more information on guest presenters, please see the Michigan Department of Education Guest Presenter Policy memo.

Why did the advisory board recommend new curriculum resources for approval by the Board of Education?

Michigan’s model health curriculum, the Michigan Model for Health, is the recommended resource for use at middle and high school levels to be taught by certified teachers. This curriculum is aligned with the Michigan health standards and was developed specifically for use in Michigan public schools. It is used by the vast majority of school districts in Michigan and is used in numerous states throughout our country. This resource will be utilized to develop the required lessons in middle and high school. Additionally, Making A Difference, a resource used by Kent Intermediate School District, is also recommended to support development of general and special education health lessons.

If these resources are approved, will the content of the courses change significantly?

The lessons will continue to align with the Michigan grade level health standards. The state of Michigan requires that abstinence is the only 100% effective protection against unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease and infection. All related lessons at the middle and high school levels will be abstinence-based.

Can families review the curriculum resources prior to the teaching of the lessons?

Yes. Curriculum resources will be available at each school for parents to review.

Can families opt their child out of reproductive health lessons?

Yes. A letter informing families about the lessons will be provided in advance of the lessons. Parents have the right to opt their child out of the lessons without penalty. The District has always recognized that parents are their children’s first and best teachers and respects the decisions of parents in relation to this content.

Where can I learn more about the legal obligations related to HIV/STI and reproductive health in Michigan public schools?

Click here to find a document by the Michigan Department of Education that summarizes legal statutes and best practices associated with reproductive health.